Circuit for starting and operating discharge tubes



Aug, 39, 198 M. SPECTOR 2,845,652

CIRCUIT FOR STARTING AND OPERATING DISCHARGE TUBES Filed June 27, 1951 INVENTOR. Morris Specior United States Patent FOR STARTING'AND OPERATIN DISCHARGE TUBES Application June 27,1951, Serial No. 233,850

" scams. or. sis-13s CIRCUIT This invention relates to circuits for starting and operatingone'or'more dischargetubes of the hot cathode or cold cathode type.

There has recently been developed a ballast for starting two discharge tubes in sequence and thereafter operatingithem in serie Because the tubes are started in sequence the ballast need supply the starting voltage for only one of the tubes at a time, whereas in a two tube series circuit ifthe tubes were to start at the same instant the ballast would haveto supply double the open circuit starting voltage required for a single lamp. Because of the sequential starting the high starting voltage is applied 1 first to one and then to the other glow discharge lamp. The time lapse in the sequential starting is so slight'that it is not noticeable and the lamps appear to start simultaneously. It is oneof the objects of the present'invention to provide anew anddesirable circuit for a ballast'of the above'typewhich will start two lamps in sequence and'then operate them in series. a

p it is a further object of the present invention to prov'ide 'a new and useful circuit for startingand operating even one lamp and wherein the portion of the ballast circuitthat is used to provide the high starting voltage is to-all intents and purposes out of the circuit during the operating'tim'e. Since it'is in circuit for only a negligibly small proportion of the total operating time the output efiiciency of that 'portion of the ballast is not important andthcrefore that portion of the cell may be made of very fine wire, thereby reducing the amount of copper used. and, in many instances, also reducing the amount of iron used in the ballast.

- i 'In Figure l there is shown a circuit for starting and operating two glow discharge-devices' which in this instance are fluorescent type instant start cold cathode lamps L and' L by means of a ballast that includes a primary P311 secondary S and another secondary S The ballast may be of a'physical construction such as shown in Figures Z or 3 of the application of Albert E. Feinberg, Serial-N0 135,669, that issued as Patent No. 2,558,293, lune 26, 1951, to which referencemay be had for a more complete description of the physical structure of the ballast.'- it issufiicient here to state that the ba last is a shell type iron core on whichthe three coils R5 and S are mounted, the secondaries being physically at opposite ends-of-thecore-with the primary between them.-'- A magnetic-shunt ltlis provided between theprimary andthe secondary S and'a similar magnetic shunt may be providedbetweenthe primary and the secondary 3 the magneticshunts including an air gap. The wind- 2,848,652 meri eve-1 1-1958 ice ings' S and Sghave a high leakage reactance and both are loosely coupled with the primary, but thesecondary S is more loosely coupled to'the'primary than is the secondary S The primaryand the secondaries are so electrically connected that when alternating 'current'vo'ltage is supplied to the primary the relativedirections of the induced open circuit voltages in the primary'and secondaries S and S areas shown 'by the'arr'owsd i, 1'2, and 13, respectively, namely, the direction of the secondary voltage S is the same as that of the primary, whereas the direction of the induced voltage of the seccndary S is opposite that of the primary; i 1

The lamp L is connected in series with a'condenser 2! across the primaryand-the'secoh'clary S the :secorida'ry S beinggdurihg the open circuit" condition, "instep-up auto-transformer relationship with thevprimarym The instant that voltage is applied-to the primarythe combined voltages of-the primary andthesecondary' are availableto start the lamp'L t Ontha-othenhand; at that instant the total voltage'appliedto the lamp L is 'the voltage of the primary'plus-the'voltage' of S minus the voltage 'of'S This is insufficient-to start the lamp L T he lamp L starts. The cenden'seris ofsmaller-capacity reactance than the inductivereactance of the "circuit tsite the' directionindicated by the arrow-12t-- At this inst-antthe voltage-now applied to the lamp L -is the sum ofthe voltage of S plusithat reverse component of S lTilllllS-flilfi voltage of llw ilhisis sufiicient 'to'start the lamp- L .Once the lamp Lystarts, 'the-lampL having already started, the two lamps L' and lag operate inseries withlthe condenserZtl-and are supplied-with "opera-tingcurrentby'the secondary S Figure 2shows an alternate"circuit-wherein the lamp L inseries with the condenser is connected directly across the secondary winding S Whereas the lamp-L isv connected across theisecondariesS and S- inseries. During starting the'lamp'L has an initial'voltagezapplied thereto equal to that of S Thistle sufficient to start the lamp. The lamp 3. has a voltage thereacross which-ls the difierencebetween the-voltage'S and the voltage 0 58 That is insufficient to start the lamp. .lmmediately ,uponstarting of the lamp-L -currentcommences to flow through. theacoil S This current-is a lagging current because thereactance of the .condenser -20-is chosen of. such a value as to be-less than the inductive 'reactance ofthesecsondary S The lagging. current flowing through S inducestherein avoltage havinga conn ponent substantially opposite'to.thatdndicated by -the arrow 12. The voltage across-the lamp L -is now-the sumof the voltages of S -andS and that.is suificient to start the lamp L Once :thelamgL .startscurrent then flows through both lamps in series/the series circuit including the lamp L condenser QQsecondary coil S and the lamp L The secondary S is at this time shunting, the lamp L and-the condenser 20. Due. to-the-high leakage reactanceof the. secondary S ,negligible..current flows'throngh,the secondarys s Figure3 shows another modification oftthe present invention. In this instance the lamp L and thecondenser I are open .circuited .is the sum .of the voltages of the primary or line voltage plus the voltage of the secondary S minus the voltage of the secondary S This is insuflicient to start thelamp. L which is connected in series with a choke 30. After starting of the lamp L, the lagging current flowing through the winding S produces a reverse component of voltage therein which is now additive to the voltages of the primary P and secondary S and is suificient to start the lamp L The lamp L in'series with the choke 30, lights. Once this happens a circuit is formed including the lamp L choke 34), condenser 20 and lamp L in series, connected across the primary P and secondary S in series. The primary P and secondary S are in step-up auto-transformer relationship. The secondary S at this time shunts the lamp L and condenser 20. Due to the high leakage reactance of the secondary S this shunt circuit takes a negligible current. The choke 30 is a conventional iron core choke such as is commonly used in fluorescent lamp circuits. It may comprise, for instance, an E-shaped magnetic core having a winding 30 on the center leg and a bridging bar of iron extending across the three'legs of the E to complete the magnetic circuit.

' In each ofthe circuits above described there is shown an arrangement for starting two glow discharge lamps in sequence and operating them in series. Each of the circuits is operative for controlling a single lamp if de-' sired. In such case the respective circuits are used for operating the lamp L the lamp L being omitted and, when omitted, being replaced by the equivalent of a'short circuit across the terminals of the lamp L Thus, in Figure 1 the condenser 20 would be connected directly across the primary P and secondary S In Figures 2 and 3 the condenser 20 would be connected directly across the secondary's In each such circuit the operation would be as previously explained, that is, when line voltage is applied it first induces a current flow through the condenser 20 in series with its associated coil S The current is a lagging current because the capacity reactance of the condenser 20 chosen is less than the inductive reactance of the circuit which includes the condenser, and the lagging current results in a reverse component of voltage in the secondary S This then provides a sufiicient voltage for starting of the one lamp L Upon starting of the lamp L the condenser '20 operates in se ries, with the lamp L being shunted by the winding S in Figures 2 and 3, and by'the winding and P in Figure 1.

' 'Wh'ile I have herein-shown the present invention as applied'to instant start for cold cathode tubes, it is within ing one of the two ballasts shown in the Feinberg patent above' referred to; In this construction the ballast comprises a rectangular core 30 formed by a stack of iron transformer laminations, .and asimilarly formed central core leg31 on which the windings S ,,P and S are located. The-central core leg makes a snug fit with one end of the shell,as indicated at 33, and provides at the opposite end.34. a gap in the magnetic circuit, which gap is bridged at 35, for reasons well known in the art. The core 30 has magnetic shunts 10 which approach the central core member 31 and are spacedvtherefrom by air gaps 3838. If desired shunts ,10a10a (Fig. 1) similar .to the shunts 10- 10 may be provided between the primary P and the secondary S The secondary S is of 'finer wire than is the secondary S 'The secondary S may. haveof theorder of fourtimesas; many turns as the primary, whereas thesecondary S may haveanumberof turns two and one-half timesthat of the; primary. This is merely byway ofexample,as,other relative ratios may 'be chosen depending upon which of the circuits are.

'4 used, and depending upon the constants of the circuits in accordance with known engineering principles.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have here shown and described a few preferred embodiments of my invention. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is not limited tothe precise constructions here shown, the same being merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. What 'I consider new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. In combination, a pair of gaseous discharge devices an alternating current supply for the devices comprising a three-winding auto-transformer having' a primary, a loosely coupled first secondary having one end connected with the said primary, a loosely coupled second secondary, the said first secondary having its secondend connected with the second secondary andin bucking effect a series circuit including thedevices, the capacitive reactor, and the second secondary.

2. In combination with two gaseous discharge devices, an auto-transformer having a primary, a loosely coupled high leakage reactance first secondary of more turns than the primary, and a second loosely coupled high leakage reactance secondary of more turns than the primary and arranged in bucking relation to the first secondary, said primary and said first secondary and said second secondary being connected one afterthe other, means including a capacity reactor connecting one of said devices in a circuit excluding the primary and the second secondary and including the first of the two secondaries, and

means connecting the second of said devices in a circuit excluding the primary and including. the two secondaries.

3. A system of the character described comprising a transformer having a primary winding, a first secondary winding and a second secondary winding, both secondaries being loosely coupled to the primary, he first secondary being connected between a terminal of the primary and a terminal of the second secondary andin bucking voltage relationship to the second secondary, a capacitive reactor, an instant start gaseousdischarge device in series with the capacity reactor and connected across the first secondary and excluding the other two windings, a second instant start gaseous discharge device connectedacross both secondary windings and excluding the primary Winding, the secondaries having a turn relationship .to the primary whereby the first of said devices will be ignited when power is applied to the primary causing a lagging flow of current throughsaid first; secondary, which in turn will produce a component of voltage in said first secondary in phase with the voltage of thesecond secondary such that thesum of voltages across the twosecondary windings after ignition of said first device is sufiicient to ignite the second of said devices, thesaid' first secondary having a relatively high leakage reactance greatly to limit the flow of operating current therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mauerer Sept. 18,1951 

